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“You didn’t tell me what happened.”
“Valid point.” He slid his hands down her wet sides and wrapped them around her waist. “I won’t make that mistake again. I’m still getting used to the idea of having someone in my life who I can share everything with. Good or bad.”
“The same way you want my trust, I have to have yours too.”
“It’s more me wanting to protect you. To keep you in a bubble and never let anyone hurt you.”
“That’s not realistic.”
“It is in my mind.” He shook his head, remembering how Martin had told him he didn’t need to shelter Kayla. “I was going to tell you the truth tonight. That’s why I had come home early. It didn’t feel right keeping it from you.”
“You said you resigned. Why would you do that? You love your job.”
“What choice did I have?” He hated thinking about what he had to do. “I couldn’t show Dave those pictures of his granddaughter without exposing either one of us. I told him I refused to work with Angelina and he would just have to trust my instincts and what I knew.”
“He didn’t accept your resignation?”
“I told him what I had in the envelope wasn’t meant for his eyes. His granddaughter had crossed a serious line when she tried to blackmail me and I wouldn’t work for a firm that forced me to stay in a situation I didn’t want to be in. Angelina went against my wishes and she disrespected you.”
“You didn’t have to show him the proof?”
“Angelina had gotten into some trouble in California with a married attorney at the firm. Dave thought if he brought her back here, I could keep her in line. He had no idea about our past. He still doesn’t know the details, but he knows what was in that envelope was enough to make me walk.”
“I hate thinking that you almost walked away from your life because of something Angelina did.”
“My job means so much to me.” He took her chin in his hand and tilted her chin. “But you are my life. If you didn’t believe me, nothing else would have mattered.”
“You do realize how unsettling those photos were.” She met his stare, not backing down, not being submissive, and that was fine with him. He had screwed up, and she needed to call him on it. “After the initial shock of seeing you with her wore off, I would have trusted my heart, but that’s not really the issue.”
“I know.”
“Instead of coming home and having sex with me, you should have told me where you had been and what had happened.”
“If I had done that, those photos could never have come between us.” He pressed his lips to hers. “I need you to forgive me. I should have told you when I came home that night.” He kissed her again, longer, deeper. “My overwhelming need to protect you overtakes my rational side. I didn’t want to upset you. I thought I had it handled. The Angelina I knew before would never have defied me that way. It took every ounce of control I had not to go to her tonight and unleash the wrath she so deserves.” He’d thought about it, but decided against it when he realized just how furious he was. Cooler heads would prevail. He’d confront her when the time was right.
“She’s not worth it.”
“That’s why I’m letting Dave handle it. If it’s not taken care of by tomorrow, I’ll be filing a restraining order. I can’t have her thinking it’s okay to stage scenes and send you packages. I will resign if need be. I’m not going to let her come between us.”
“Let’s put it behind us. I should have trusted you, and you should have told me sooner. We’ll chalk it up to poor judgment. We’re learning, remember?”
“I need to make something clear.” He took her hands in his, the hot water spraying around them as steam filled the shower. “You said you weren’t enough for me.”
“I was upset.”
“But you said it, so you must have thought it on some level.” Of all the events that had occurred tonight, those words had cut him the deepest. “You are more than I ever could have thought I deserved. It’s me who isn’t enough for you.”
“That’s not true.”
“I’m flawed, but you insist on staying with me. You’ve done everything I’ve asked to be with me. Your determination awes me. You’re more than enough. It’s me who has to live up to your standards.”
“We belong together. That’s all that I need to remember when things get crazy.” She closed her eyes. “I do what I do with you and Martin because I want to. Not because I think that’s how I’m going to keep you.”
“There’s something else I should apologize for,” he said.
“More surprises?” When she frowned, he realized he would have to work harder to restore the trust he had broken tonight.
“I shouldn’t have made that comment about you going to your apartment. It wasn’t fair. It was a low blow. I lashed out because I was angry. You’re not ready to move in with me full-time. I may not like it, but for whatever reason you still need your apartment and I have to respect that.”
